Additionally, the invention is about a method for sealing a flute of a fluted metal deck and a movement joint between the metal deck and an adjacent wall configuration, wherein a wall plane of the wall configuration is oriented substantially perpendicular to a flute axis, and wherein the wall configuration comprises a ceiling runner being mounted on a lower side of the fluted metal deck.
Furthermore, the invention concerns a wall and deck configuration comprising a fluted metal deck and a wall configuration, wherein a wall plane of the wall is oriented substantially perpendicular to a flute axis of the fluted metal deck.
Fluted metal decks are known in the art. Very often, they are used in combination with wall configurations, especially drywall configurations. In this case, a ceiling runner is attached to the underside of the metal deck and a floor runner is attached to the floor. Between those two runners, studs are mounted in a way that a relative movement between the ceiling runner and the studs is permitted in a vertical direction. The studs, the ceiling runner and the floor runner form a frame to which gypsum boards can be attached in order to build a drywall configuration.
Usually, a defined movement joint is left between the lower side of the metal deck and the upper edges of the gypsum boards.
In order to provide a deck and wall configuration which is air-tight, sound-attenuating or even sound-proof, fire-resistant, fire-retardant, intumescent, smoke-proof and/or thermally isolating, the flutes of the metal deck, the small corrugations between fluted metal deck elements and the movement joint have to be sealed.
This is especially important for fire rated walls.
According to the state of the art, mineral wool is stuffed into the gaps mentioned above from both sides of the wall and subsequently coated, e. g. with a sprayable coating which acts as a smoke stopper.
The process of sealing involves several working steps and thus is cumbersome. Moreover, it involves working with mineral wool. As this material can cause skin irritation, workers have to put on protective clothing when in contact with mineral wool.
Furthermore, the quantity of mineral wool filled into the gaps and the quality of performing this work is heavily dependent on the person fulfilling this task. The result is a variation in the sealing quality.
Applying the spray coating represents an additional working step. Since the gypsum boards are already installed at the time the coating is being applied, the spray needs to be applied from both sides of the wall. This is time consuming for an operator having to perform this task.
Several attempts have been made to improve this situation.
In this context, CA 2 711 659 discloses fire stop blocks acting as thermal barriers in walls being built in combination with fluted metal decks. The geometry, i.e. shape and depth, of the fire stop blocks is adapted to the geometry of the flutes to be sealed. The process of sealing then includes slidably inserting the fire stop blocks into the flutes and spraying into the gaps a flexible firestop material such as polyurethane foam. The fire stop blocks are preferably made of cementitious material.
US 2015/0007515 A1 discloses isolation blocks made of mineral wool. The isolation blocks correspond to the geometry of the gaps to seal and thus comprise at least a portion having a geometry corresponding to the flutes of a fluted metal deck. Those isolation blocks can be installed before or after installation of the gypsum boards. Preferably, one isolation block is installed from each side of the wall.
The object of the invention is to further improve the sealing of fluted metal decks and associated movement joints between the metal deck and adjacent wall configurations. Thereby especially the disadvantages mentioned above shall be avoided.